Attachment-plug for electric circuits.



P. H. CHAPMAN & 0. E. KENNEY.

ATTACHMENT PLUG FOR ELEGTRIO GIRGUITS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1913.

1,080,327., Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

VVITNEEEEE: C7 IMNTURS mm WW To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FBANKH. CHAPHAN AND OWEN E. KENNEY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOBS TO THE -OST.ELECTBIC MANUFACTURING COMIPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Application filed March 21, 1918. Serial No. 755,809.

Be it' known that we, FRANK H. CHAP- Q MAN and OWEN E. KENNEY, citizens .of the United States, and residents of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Attachment-Plug for'Electric Circuits; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to electrical devices, and particularly to the plug members of the quick connecting type of plug and socket couplings for electric circuits, but is not restricted to such use as it may be used in any connection for which itmay be adapted or appropriate.

The object of our invention is the provision of a simple and efiicient plug member for couplings of this character, which is provided with improved means for retaining the-relatively movable plug parts in assembled relation and for cooperating with the plug parts and the threaded or otherwise suitably formed lining of a socket member to retain the two coupling members of a coupling of this nature in coupled relation.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while, 1n its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a coupling embodying the invention with the plug member and a portion of the socket member in central longitudinal section, the section of the plug member being on the lines m, w in Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a different s1de elevation thereof with portions of the coupling members broken away. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the plug 'member of the coupling. Fig. 4 is an inner end view of the plunger part of the plug member, and F 1g. 5 is a fragmentary view of the socket and plug members with such members in engaged position.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the socket member of the coupling, WhlOh member is of customary or any suitable construction, and has the central contact part 1 and the spirallygrooved or threaded lining 2forming the other contact of the socket.

The plug member B of the coupling in which the features OfrOlll invention reside, comprises the body ,part 3 and the plunger part 4, which latter is mounted for axial reciprocatory movements in a longitudinally ex-v tending socket 5 in one end of the body part 3. A coiled compression spring 6 is disposed in the base of the socket 5 and acts be yieldingly projected a short distance without the open -end of the socket 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A ferrule/7 of metal or other suitable electrical conductive tmaterial is fitted around the outer end portion of the body part 3 to provide a surface for contact with the lining of the socket member A when the plug is inserted therein. The plunger 4 has a recess 8 in one side thereof from which a spring contact finger or brush-member 9 projects with its outer end working in a registering longitudinal recess \10 in the wall of the plugsocket 5 in sliding contact with the ferrule 7, which closes the outer side of the recess 10. The brush part 9 is clamped to the plunger by a screw 11, or in any other suitable manner, and has connection with the terminal of one of the lead-in wires 12 and 13, the other of said wires passing, in the present instance, through a hole 14 in the .p unger and connecting to a center contact part 15 at the outer end of the plunger, such contact part being in position to make contact with the part 1 of the socket member when inserted therein;

In carrying out the feature of our present invention a dog or catch-member 16 is mounted in a longitudinally disposed recess .17 in one side of the lunger 4 being pivoted therein, as at 18, and extends from its pivot toward the inner end of the plunger and thence outwardly into an opening 19 in the wall of the plug socket 5. The dog 16 is of hooked shape and is adapted to coact with the outer side wall of the openin 19 to limit the outward or sprin influence movements of the plunger relatlve to the body part 3 of the plug, as shown in Fig. -1. Upon a compression of the plunger 4 within the 16 is caused to work outwardly through the opening 19, under the influence of a spring upon the-plunger 4 to cause its outer end to socket 5 the outer or free end of the dog.

20, and toproject beyond the outer side of the socket wall a sufficient distance to adapt it to coact with a registering thread groove in the lining 2 of the socket memher A, should the plug member be disposed in the thread groove of the socket lining.

It is evident from the above that the dog 16 performs a dual function, first to engage .within the openin 19 to cooperate with the outer wall thereo to retain the plug parts 3 and 4 in assembled relation, and to limit the outward spring influenced movements of the plunger; and, secondly, to provide a part which is automatically operable to engage the threaded lining of the socket member of a coupling upon a compression of the plunger 4: within its plug socket when the plug is inserted into a socket member. It is, of course, understood that the compression. of the plunger 4 within the plug part 3 occurs'upon an insertion of a plug member into a socket member, when the plunger contact part 15 has contact with the socket part 1 and the inward movement of the plug part 3 is continued for a short distance relative to the plunger. The electrical contacts between the plug and socket members are made between the parts 1 and 15 and between the socket lining 2 and ferrule 7 of the plug'so that the dog 16, in the present instance, 'does not serve as one of the contact members. I

tion is not limited to any specific construction or arrangement of the parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. A plug of the class described having two relatively movable sections, and means carried by one of said sections and serving to limitthe relative movements of the sections in one direction and automatically operable to project without the sections to form a thread engaging part when the sections are relatively moved in the opposite direction.

2. In combination, a socket member, a

plug for fitting into said member'and having two relatively movable sections, and means carried by one of said plug sections and serving to limit the relative movements of the plug sections in one direction and automatically operable, upon a relative movement of the plug sections in the opposite direction when inserted into the socket member, to project without the sections and have holding engagement with the interior side -wall of the socket member.

3. A plug of the class described comprising a socketed member having anppening in its sidewall and a plunger reciprocally movable in said member and having a side plunger, and means for influencing an .out-

ward movement of the free end portion of said part whereby it is caused to work outwardly through said opening to form an external thread engaging part when the plunger is movedv from normal position into said member.

4:. A plug of the class described having relatively movable telescoping sections the outer of which has an opening in its wall, a niember pivotally carried by the inner section and normally cooperating with the outer section to limit the relative movements of the sections in one direction and having its free end laterally angled to adapt it to project into said opening, and means influencing an outward movement of the free end of said member through said opening toform an external thread engaging part when one section is moved a predetermined extent within the other.

5. In combination, a socket member, a

plug for fitting into said member and having two sect-ions mounted for relativelongitudinal movements, and means carried by one of said plug sections and coacting with the other section to limit the relative outward movements thereof and automatically operable by a predetermined relative inward movement of the plug sections to engage the inner side wall of the socket member to retain the plug and socket member in assembled relation when the former has been in- .serted a predetermined extent into the latter.

6. A plug of the class described having relatlvely movable telescoping sections the outer of which has an opening in its wall,

an l..- shaped member pivotally carried by i without the opening to form an external signed our names to this specification inthe thread engaging Dart when the sections have presence of two subscribing witnesses.

relative inward movements, and means act- FRANK H. CHAPMAN. ing on said member to influence an outward OWEN E. KENNEY.

5 movement of the free end thereof through Witnesses:

said opening. GEORGE F. MILLER, J r.,

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto IDA RICKE'I'. 

